Audio: Radioactive
Iodine Therapy for Feline Hyperthyroidism

Symptoms

Cats suffering from feline hyperthyroidism may exhibit the following symptoms:

eating, drinking and urinating more than normal

weight loss

hyperactivity

suffering coat quality issues

rapid toe nail growth

elevated heart rate and other clinical signs

Radioactive Iodine Therapy Treatment

Radioactive iodine therapy is an extremely effective treatment for treating feline hyperthyroidism.
Candidates for the radioactive iodine therapy should be relatively healthy cats that have been off their
feline hyperthyroid medications for at least two weeks prior to treatment. The treatment protocol is
as follows:

Upon admission, patients are provided with a comprehensive health evaluation and a thyroid scan
to ascertain the extent of the problem and to develop a therapeutic approach.

A low dosage of radioactive iodine is administered to the patient through a single subcutaneous
injection.

The agent is accumulated and concentrated in the abnormal parts of the thyroid glands.The
iodine destroys the diseased tissue, while healthy thyroid tissues are not affected.

Once the agent is injected, the patient must be kept in isolation for three or four days while the
radioactive agent is cleared from the body.

Special Thanks

We are especially grateful to the late Joanne O’Brien whose generous gift enabled the renovation of
our animal holding and treatment facilities to support the operation of the radioactive iodine therapy
service.